President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities quit over Trump’s support of hate groups
The advisory committee to the White House, first established in 1982, comprised of artists, authors, performers and architects, has quit en masse following Trump’s reaction to the events that took place last week in Charlottesville, Virginia. “We cannot sit idly by, as your West Wing advisors have, without speaking out against your words and actions,” write the group in an open letter to the president. "Ignoring your hateful rhetoric would have made us complicit in your words and actions… Art is about inclusion."
According to the Washington Post, members of the PCAH quit last year when Trump was elected, however the remaining commissioners agreed to stay on until replacements were found. The events of last week however accelerated the commissioners’ departure. More via artnet News.
India Art Fair appoints Jagdip Jagpal as director
Jagdip Jagpal, formerly of International Partnerships at the Tate is to succeed founder and director Neha Kirpal as the head of the India Art Fair which will take place from 9 through 12 February. Following the majority takeover of the fair last year by the MCH Group which owns the Art Basel fairs, Kirpal retained a 10% stake in the company and will remain on the board of the fair in order to develop other initiatives in the region. More via The Art Newspaper.
India Art Fair 2017 : NSIC Grounds, Image Courtesy : Andy Barnham
Ullens Center in Beijing faces double censorship during Zhao Bandi exhibition
Two works that were due to feature in the ongoing exhibition “China Party”, a solo show by Chinese artist Zhao Bandi, were blocked from entering Chinese mainland to be exhibited. The director of the Ullens Center, Philip Tinari, posted pictures of the original images, part of the Uli Sigg collection on Twitter. The two pieces, Night View, and Scenery with Cameras, depict surveillance cameras and the slogan ‘Chinese Dream’, president Xi Jinping’s catchphrase.
The museum was able to continue with the planned format for the exhibition by having the works reproduced for the show. More information via The Art Newspaper.
“China Party”
London’s National Portrait Gallery to acquire 37 portraits of Black British personalities
In what constitutes the largest acquisition of Afro-Caribbean sitters, London’s National Portrait Gallery is planning an upcoming exhibition of portraits by photographer Simon Frederick. The images were initially taken for the BBC documentary Black is the new Black and include portraits of Journalist Sir Trevor McDonald, model Naomi Campbell and Vogue editor Edward Enninful.
The photographer donated the images to the institution and an exhibition will be organised for November 2018. More via BBC.
Journalist Sir Trevor McDonald, model Naomi Campbell and rapper Tine Tempah
